It comes as quite a surprise to realise that four years have elapsed since 2013, when Noreen & I transferred our membership and were so warmly welcomed into the Wesley family.  Of course, September is the traditional "welcoming month" throughout Methodism in Britain, as it marks the start of our new church year. In particular, it is the time when circuit plans throughout the connexion reveal the names of newly appointed local ministers. In our own case it is 12 years since we have been directly involved in the ministerial stationing process which at the time marked the arrival of Rev Richard Bainbridge.

Dear Friends

I am writing this in the aftermath of the horrific bombing at the Manchester Arena. What happened there at 10.30pm on Monday 22nd May 2017 defies description. As I listened to politicians struggle to articulate a meaningful response it seemed that words were inadequate to express what had taken place. I have been to many concerts in large arenas and know well that after show feeling, the jostling with the crowds, excited conversation with friends as you relive the highlights of the gig, wondering how long you will be stuck in traffic on the journey home. I guess these were the kind of thoughts going through the minds of those leaving the Manchester Arena after the Ariana Grande concert on Monday.

Dear Friends

Whilst visiting friends recently, I picked up a copy of ‘Life Together’ by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (It’s always fun to look through someone else’s bookshelves!). I was reminded once again of the significance of this young German pastor who openly resisted the Nazis and paid for that resistance with his life, being hanged in Flossenburg extermination camp just one month before Germany surrendered.

Dear Friends

Have you ever longed to live the kind of life where everything was ordered, nothing untoward ever occurred and as each new week came along you were able to plan in great detail how events would unfold? I certainly do. I have a worryingly intense desire for a diary where nothing is ever crossed out and where there is always sufficient time between visits and appointments to reflect on the one just completed and prepare for the next one.

Dear Friends

A few weeks ago I did a one day photography course (a gift from my wife) at Beamish Hall. I have had a Canon DSLR camera for many years and have enjoyed using it but almost exclusively on the automatic settings. The course was designed to help novices like me use camera settings to create images that wouldn’t be possible using just the automatic settings. Using my new-found expertise I successfully photographed the moon last week with a clarity I’d never been able to achieve before.